p u l l i n g

filmmaking for teens

PULLING OFF YOUR SHORTS

TROY LANIER & CLAY NICHOLS

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filmmaking for teens 4 lanier & nichols

TABLE OF

CONTENTS (Fast) Foreword

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Introduction

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Roll Credits

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Chapter 1: The Keychain

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Key 1 — Five-Minute Rule Key 2 — Scripted in Advance Key 3 — Slash and Burn Key 4 — Geek Out Key 5 — The Three-Day Shoot Key 6 — Cut Off for Cutting Reshoot Chapter 2: Honey, I Shrunk the Concept

Picking a Subject for Your Your Film: Fil m: Shelving Godfather IV Brainshowers Subject Yourself The Real World Be Adaptable Culling the Herd Get Into Treatment Put It to Bed Reshoot

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Chapter 3: Screenplay — The Every Other Daily Grind

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Why You Script But Before You Start… Screenplayy Format Screenpla A Note on Screenwriting Software Stage Directions Slug Lines Dialogue

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Stor Storyy, A Couple Ideas Start Late Staying Ahead of the Crowd: Reversals The Writing Process: Three Weeks Later Your Writing Calendar Schedule a Reading Screenwriting Unplugged Don’t Interrogate the Draft Readings: Getting Something for Nothing Listen Carefully Quiz Show Do Over Revision: Hello Old Friend Overtime Reshoot Chapter 4: The Producers

You’re Not a Cheesebal You’re Cheeseballl Your Peeps The Superfriends Raise Your Hand Superfriends: Personality Profiles and Job Descriptions Really Good But Not Quite Super Friends How to Ask a Really Big Fav Favor or Screen Test The Audition The Audition Room Casting Locations: Scout Then Schedule When Pulling Off Your Shorts, Remember Your PANTs Shooting on Private Property — The Fine Art of the Mooch Props/Costumes — Finding Continuity Giving Everyone Their Props Rags Ask First, Spend Later The Rehearsal Reshoot

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35 36 37 38 38 42 44 45 46 46 48 49 50 51 51 52 53 54 54 55

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Chapter 5: Time and Money

The Schedule and the (Non-Equipment) Budget Timetable Six Easy Pieces Call Sheets Moolah Food/Drink Other Expenses The Bill: What’s the Damage? Asking for Money Reshoot Chapter 6: Director’ Director’ss Preparation

Font to Film — A Shotboard Approach Watch and Learn Three Exercises Creating the Shotboard Reshoot Chapter 7: Ringmaster — The Eye on the Monitor

It’s All About You The Director on the Set The AP and AD The Huddle Action! Shooting Shouting How You Know You’ve Got It Getting the Performance — Coaching Actors Go Small Yet Again Don’t Do It Like I Do Squash the Improv Bug Moving Violations Check the Gate Collateral Damage Personal Damage Worst-Case Scenario Scenarioss That’s a Wrap Reshoot

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75 76 76 78 79 79 80 81 81 83 83 83 84 84 85 85 87 87

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 8: Equipment

The Camera What Kind of Camera to Get How to Buy a Camera How to Borrow a Camera How to Rent a Camera The Tripod: Rock, Rock, Steady Steady,, Steady Microphone Mic (Mike) Gathering Hey Mike, Can I Borrow a Mic? XLR Cables XLR Adapter Boom Pole Wind Eliminator Headphones Clear UV Filter Digital Videotape /Discs/Hard Drives Batteries Reflectors Lights Black Plasti Plasticc and Blue Tape Black Foil Electrical Cord Surge Protector Gloves White Balance Card Monitor Gaffer Tape Diffusion Stabilizer Dolly Sandbags Stands Extra Lenses Polarizing Filter Digital Still Cameras Jib Arm The Lists: Low Budget List Big Budget List Reshoot

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90 91 93 94 95 96 96 97 98 99 99 100 100 100 101 101 101 102 102 104 105 105 105 105 105 105 106 107 107 107 108 108 108 109 109 109 110 110 110 110

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Chapter 9: Getting Pretty Pictures

U-G-L-Y, Do You Have an Alibi? U-G-L-Y, Part One: Lighting Before You You Plug in the Lights, Li ghts, or What To Do If You Don’t Plug in the Lights First, Use a Monitor Second, Take Time to Choose Your Locati Location on Wisel Wiselyy Third, Use Reflectors Fourth, Four th, Use Black Plasti Plasticc and Blue Tape Fifth, Don’t Mix Different Types of Light From Automatic to Five Speed First Gear: Zebra Bars Second Gear: Shutter Speed Third Gear: Aperture, F-Stop, Iris Fourth Gear: White Balance Fifth Gear: Progressiv Progressivee Scan Plugging in the Lights Start with Your Action Throw Your Light Around Diffusion Use Light to Create Depth: Three-P Three-Point oint Lighting Light Is Not Linear Setting the Mood Get Creative Part Two: Composit Composition ion or Framing Framing Uglies 16:9 vs. 4:3 No Shaky Shaky No Zoom Zoom Just Say No to Autofocus A Conv Conversation ersation about Conv Conversations ersations Composition: The Art Camera Angles Moving Shots Tripod Head Movement The Dolly Handheld The Jib Arm Some Final Hints Reshoot

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111 112 112 112 113 114 115 115 116 117 117 118 120 121 121 122 122 123 124 125 125 126 126 126 127 127 128 128 129 131 131 132 132 134 134 136 136 137

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 10: Getting Good Sound

Wanted: Sound Engineer Shotguns and Grips Location Wrap, Almost Do the Right Thing Reshoot Chapter 11: Editing

Ready Aim Edit The Editing Studio The Computer Mac vs. PC The Software Downloading Download ing Your Footage The Concept of Editing — Nonlinear and Non-Destructive Editing Nonlinear Non-Destructive The Downside: Editing Zombies The Craft Cuts Dissolves Fades Be Precise Telling the Story Be Cruel Cruel,, Be Kind Sound Audio Fades Audio as Transiti ransition on Soundtracks Final Soundtrack Putting It in the Can Reshoot Chapter 12: Getting Noticed

Wow! You’ve Fini Wow! Finished shed One Festival, For Now Then Go Local Location Big, Dark, and Loud: AV

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147 147 148 148 150 150 151 152 152 153 153 154 154 155 156 157 157 157 159 160 161 162 162 163 163 164 165

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The Hook Up Promotion Posters and Postcards Tickets Website Press The Big Night What to Say Festivals The Digital Bake Sale:A Way to Fund Your Next Film Production and Reproduction Reshoot Chapter 13: Your Digital Distribution Deal

Your Digital Distribution Deal Get Tagged Channel Surfing Be a Community Organizer Padding Your Resume Running Numbers Thinking Thinki ng Outsid Outsidee the Tube

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179 180 181 181 182 183 183

Conclusion — Final Credits

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Index

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About the Authors

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R E T P A H C

THE

KEYCHAIN In our opinion opin ion there are six keys to getting your your film finished: 1) Make a five-minute film. 2) Have a completed script before shooting. 3) Be a slash (writer/director/producer/editor). 4) Geek Out. 5) Use the three-day shooting schedule. 6) Edit on a deadline. KEY 1 — FIVE-MINUTE RULE

It is our belief that you raise the odds of finishing your movie, of pulling off your shorts, if you tackle a project of reasonable size. Therefore, it is the premise of this guidebook that you should begin your career with a “short.” We suggest a five-minute film. “Five minutes?” you ask, perhaps out loud, lou d, attracting stares from other Starbucks patrons. You start to think about things that take five minutes: making a bowl of ramen, brushing your teeth, going to your locker for your books — none of which sound very much like your Hollywood dreams. Five minutes? I can’t go to the bathroom in five minutes. What can I possibly do in five minutes? A good little bit.

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In five minutes you can tell a story that makes people laugh or cry or both. In five minutes you can show people something unique, un ique, take them someplace they have never been before. In five minutes you can communicate a lot about what you think and who you are. And for five minutes you can keep the attention of a jittery YouTube viewer. You can say a lot in five minutes, and you can get it finished. KEY 2 — SCRIPTED IN ADVANCE

Most kids, mostly those that never get past the dreaming phase, feel like filmmaking starts when they push the red button on their new camcorder. And to tell the truth, making it up u p as you go along can yield some hilarious hilari ous results. You may have already made some improvisational films before ever reading this book, and you probably taught yourself some useful lessons, gained some great experience in the process. The problem with improvised films is that they usually have that homemade, America’s Funniest Animals look. And the humor is often of the “you-had-to-bethere” variety. It’s always funnier if you know the people. To find a wider audience, to get your film and yourself noticed, to make it to the next level, you you need professional polish. To achieve a professional polish, you need good preparation and focus on the set. In order to prepare and focus, f ocus, you you need a script. Having a script allows you to create a “set” in advance — a place pl ace where you can control things like lighting and sound. Creating the script forces you to sharpen and distill your story, so your audience will wil l hear clearly clear ly what you have to say. say. The script is also a tangible sign of how serious you are about making this film. You can use the script to recruit recr uit friends, teachers and parents, all the people you will need to make your movie. Ask a friend to be in your movie and he’ll say say,, “Yeah, sure dude.” Give him a script, and he’ll actually show up. KEY 3 — SLASH AND BURN

We assume that you will be the driving force behind the movies you will create. In the process of being “the woman” (or “man”) and making this movie, you will have to wear so many hats your hair will start to fall out (this might also result from the stress of filmmaking). The most significant roles you will play will be those of writer, producer, director, and editor (you’ll also be marketing director,

THE KEYCHAIN

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location scout, and caterer). On this project you will be what is known affectionately (or not) as a s a “Slash” aka a writer/producer/director/editor. As a slash-writer, we we will help you find a concept that fits the size of your project, and we will also give you exercises to refine your idea and get it down on paper. We’ll give you the proper format and guide you toward a script that tells your storyy effectively stor effectively.. As slash-producer, we will help you to think through and work out the galaxy of details that go into making even a short film. It is the producer’s job to make sure that the director has everything she needs when the actual shooting starts, and to handle any unforeseen problems that may come up on o n the spot. The producer wrangles the equipment, equip ment, sets the schedule, sweet-talks sweet-talks the owner of the location, recruits and manages the crew, crew, and a million other things. As a slash-director, we’ll give you some preparation to be the master and commander of the film set. The director is the creator but also the decision maker. She calls the shots, what kind of shot, how many shots of the same scene — who and what goes where. But she must also carefully manage actors and the many collaborators without whom it would be impossible to finish the film.

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As a slash-editor we will help you master the technology that makes professional looking films. Movie types often say that “movies are made in post” (referring to the post-filming period), which is another way of saying that editing might be the most crucial step in producing a finished film. The technology makes amazing things possible, but a few tips on the artistry involved in the editing process makes amazing things probable. Being a slash is a lot of work and responsibility, but it concentrates important tasks in the hands h ands of the person most invested in getting the film finished, you. KEY 4 — GEEK OUT

In your lifetime, filmmaking and film watching has been transformed. And as a direct result, you now need to be a geek. Not all that many years ago, getting professional-looking images called for huge and expensive cameras that required great expertise to operate, and delicate film that was vulnerable to exposure and hugely expensive to develop. Editing required machinery that physically cut and spliced pieces of developed film together to get a finished product. Now it’s all 1s and 0s, baby. baby. Ain’t technology technolo gy grand. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, as most studio films still require those big cameras and expensive film, but editing is now done digitally. The incredible thing is that you can produce films of professional quality using equipment that is easy to learn how to use, and relatively accessible. With the advent of digital video cameras and editing software like Mac’s iMovie, the stuff you need to make a good movie is easily within reach. We’ll get more into the technical stuff later, so right now it’s enough to say that in order to take advantage of what’s out there you’ll need access to a digital camcorder of some kind, and a internet-connected computer equipped with film editing software and an d a bit of hard drive space. You need to master these gizmos, and be a social media and online web marketing ninja, as well. We’re not saying you have to own all the tech and film gear. Even though it’s cheaper than a Panoflex 35mm, these digital gizmos are pricey. Don’t sweat it. There are lots of ways to get access to a camera and a computer and the internet and most don’t don ’t involve breaking and entering. There’s There’s no reason to get scared off by this key; geeking out is easier than you think.

THE KEYCHAIN

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KEY 5 — THE THREE-DAY THREE-DAY SHOOT

Don’t you love faculty work days? President’s Day, Arbor Day, all those days that get you a three-day weekend? We have a suggestion. Instead of sleeping until two, make a movie. The nice thing about choosing ch oosing a five-minute film is that you can create a shooting schedule that fits neatly into a three-day weekend. It’s not easy, and you’re in for some long days, but you you can capture your whole movie (or just about) in a Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We’ll give you the schedule that makes it possible. The beauty of a three-day shoot is that it’s easy to keep momentum. You can keep even the most overcommitted actor on task, and on set and on time, for three days. Friends that have volunteered to hold boom b oom mikes, or bring sandwiches, or be an extra can stay focused for three days. You can handle ha ndle the pressure of being in charge of everything for three days. And if you keep focused and stay on schedule, you can get your whole movie in the can. We understand that the three-day schedule may not work for everyone, particularly if you are making your movie as a part of a class that meets certain times during the week. That’s okay, we’ve got some ideas for you, too. KEY 6 — CUT OFF FOR CUTTING

You may be tempted to think that when you finish your three-day shoot — when it’s a wrap — that you’re done. Not even close. Now it’s time for “post” — a time that is critical to determine the quality q uality of your film. Editing may may not have the sexiness and excitement of the set, but it’s twice as fun. This is when you start to see the movie coming together. The storytelling happens in editing. Plus you don’t have to worry about everybody showing up. It’s just you and the computer. Editing is so much fun, and so potentially time consuming as you tweak and fix and retouch, that there is a danger that this portion of the process may drag on and on. Editing can drag on long enough to put the whole project in danger. To combat this we strongly suggest that you put yourself on a deadline. In the same way that the three-day shoot gives you structure and time pressure, editing on a deadline increases the likelihood of getting it done. We suggest that you pick a festival or contest (listed in Chapter 12) that has a submission deadline that comes between four to six weeks after you wrap. Don’t

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make deals with yourself. Don’t think of this as a negotiable deadline. You must be finished by that day. And you will be. Look forward to that day. You’ll be a filmmaker. So there are our recommendations. You’ll probably follow about a third of them. That’s cool. You’ll make your own decisions, find a new way of doing things, make your own mistakes, and eventually wish you’d done what we’d suggested. That’s all part of the deal. Now, however, it’s time for you to start making your movie. You should start with an idea. RESHOOT

Getting the film “in the can” is the most important thing of all. all . There are six keys to getting it finished: 4 4 4 4 4 4

Keep your film short — five minutes is optimal. Write a script for your film before shooting. Do all the major jobs yourself — be a slash. Geek the tech of shooting, editing and distributing. Stick to a compact, compa ct, three-day three-day shooting schedule. Set a deadline to finish editing the project.

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R E T P A H C

HONEY HO NEY,, I SHR SHRUNK UNK THE

CONCEPT GODFATHER IV You’re You’ re probably already tired of hearing this, and it’s only the th e second chapter, but we’re going to say it anyway. You’re not really a filmmaker until you’ve pulled off your shorts — until the movie is in the can. So to speak. It is essential that you actually finish this th is first film, and getting there may mean changing your expectations about what your movie is going to look lo ok like. PICKING A SUBJECT FOR YOUR FILM: SHELVING

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It’s time to go small. Your filmmaking dreams were probably born in a dark theater, watching   or  or . It’s only natural that when you think about making a film, you dream of a two-hour, full-length, feature film. Maybe Maybe you’ve imagined a sweeping four-hour epic depicting d epicting the history of contemporary dental practices, or a three-part film cycle set entirely in a hardware store in Dubuque starring Ethan Hawke. Indeed, you’ve probably seen so many Hollywood movies, that the storytelling structure of two-hour movies is already imbedded in your brainpan. More about str ucture later. The epic studio stu dio “feature” is the big dream. Some day you’ll get there, with the big house in the Hollywood Hills Hill s and lunch with Matt Damon and the whole deal. Put that up on a shelf for now. Not the trash, just a shelf. To get to the big dream you need to have a little dream first: a short film. And making a “short” is different from making a “feature” from the moment of conception — even the idea for a short film has h as to be different, dif ferent, or more to the point, smaller. A feature is a gorgeous landscape hanging in the Louvre. A short is a postage stamp. Lick it, stick it, and you’re going places. The first step in making a short film is coming up with a subject that is suitable for a five-minute movie. You’v You’vee got to find an idea that fits. BRAINSHOWERS

You don’t need a whole brainstorm to come up with a subject for your short, a brainshower will do. In an ideal world (i.e. Steven Steven Spielberg’s office) there would be no limitations to what you could dream for your film. Pigs fly, cabbages duel with laser pistols and snappy dialogue, Keanu can act. However, when contemplating the story you want to tell in your first short, it is an unfortunate fact that you will have to keep some practicalities practicaliti es in mind. Namely, Namely, you you have limited time and a limited budget. At the brainshower stage, the most important practical consideration to keep in mind is time. Let’s try to get a feel for just how long five minutes is in “movie time.”

HONEY, I SHRUNK THE CONCEPT

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An Experiment Go on Netflix and rent three movies. Watch them while keeping a close eye on a stopwatch. Start your watch when the credits (Directed by, by, etc.) finish and the narrative part of the movie begins. When the watch reads five minutes hit the pause button. How much of the story has been told? Now go back to your starting point and watch again, this time taking notes. Write down all that happens during the five minutes. This may take several runs through thro ugh the clip, but the time is worth it. When reviewing your notes from this experiment, observe the number of separate scenes presented in five minutes. You may be surprised, and even a bit depressed, by by how little of the plot is presented in five minutes. Comfort yourself by reflecting on just how much information the director has communicated abo ut the world of the film. What have you learned about the places pla ces and people in this movie in just five minutes? You’ve been told more than you think. You can say a lot about a little in five minutes. Now that you have completed this exercise you probably have a better sense of just how compact a form you are working with. You’re ready now to try to cook up a brainshower brainshower.. SUBJECT YOURSELF

Full-length films can take as their subject an individual’s life, an era, the history of a family or a place, or a plot to destroy the earth. Short films can’t really tackle such sweeping subjects very well. They can, however, effectively capture a moment in time. A short film is a snapshot, sna pshot, a glimpse, a fragment of a life. You may may already have a subject subj ect in mind for your short. If you do, you may want to think back to the stopwatch exercise. Compare your vision of your film with the reality of five minutes. Can you really tell your story in that period of time? You will ultimately be in better shape if you choose a tiny subject or story and have the time to tell it completely, than if you try to shave down a larger tale to fit into a tiny frame. If your idea seems too big, hold on to it. It’ll come in handy some day. Now it’s time to look for another one. Get smaller. Even if your idea survives sur vives scrutiny, scrutiny, don’t be afraid to give it a little competition. Go ahead and complete the brainshowering exercises laid out later in the chapter. Come up with several ideas. If after all that, you still like your original idea, it’s probably a good one.

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When brainshowering for your film, consider the following list of generic subjects: 4 4 4 4 4 4

An encounter A twist of fate A surprise An oddball A disruption A dream

A note on ideas: In reading the list of suggested subjects above, an idea may

have popped into your head. Write it down! Make sure you keep a notebook handy while you are reading (or walking, or napping, napping , or showering), and if an idea hits you, drop this book like a hot rock and scribble like a maniac. (The authors suggest that you keep several several copies of this book handy han dy in case one is damaged in this process.) If you are still holding this book after reading through throu gh our list of suggested subjects, you may may need a jumpstart. jumpsta rt. Try one or both of the following exercises. It is important importa nt at this phase not to edit yourself. Let ideas flow, even if you are sure that they are terrible. Lots of terrible ter rible ideas become movies. A few of them are even good. Jumpstart Exercise 1: Blab! The blank screen or blank page is the most depressing thing in the world to a writer — student and professional p rofessional alike. It’s It’s important to break the ice, to get rolling even if it is complete nonsense. Nonsense is better than blank. Consider using that stopwatch you had with you while watching movies. Give yourself ten minutes. Ready. Set. Blab. Just start writing. Anything. It could be a to-do list. It could be a letter to a favorite f avorite pet, anything, anything, just get the pen or cursor moving across the page. Blab away to yourself until you feel ready to start writing about your movie idea. Trick yourself. Go from complaining about how boring Algebra is to your vision for a film without pausing to worry about it. The important thing in this exercise is to never stop writing, even if it is nonsense. You may churn out several ideas; keep writing. Don’t edit, judge or even think. If it pops into your head, put it on the page. Blab away! It could lead to brilliance.


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Jumpstart Exercise 2: Define the Problem Choose one or more of the generic subjects suggested in our list earlier in this chapter. Write the subject as a s a heading headin g to the page. Now write a definition of that word. It doesn’t have to be the dictionar di ctionaryy definition. The definition should be your own interpretation of the word. Next, give three examples of the word you have defined. These examples could be from your imagin imaginatio ation, n, or from “real life. life.”” Write down: “An exampl examplee of (your generic subje subject) ct) is .” As always at this stage, it is impor important tant to put these examples down without thinking about them very much. Fill in the blanks as if you were taking a Biology test with 100 questions and only a few minutes left in the period. Once you’ve completed these exercises, you may have generated a few ideas, but there is no reason to stop there. There are several more avenues to a great idea for a short. THE REAL WORLD

We’ve all seen those movies that tha t boast that they are a re “based on a true stor y.” Why do the producers choose to tell us that? Because audiences like it. Audiences like to relax and believe what they see. “True” stories reassure an audience that what is coming won’t be fake or silly or, o r, worst of all, cliché — something based on stereotypes we’ve all seen a million times. ti mes. Use your own “true stories” when brainshowering. Do you have an experience that’s unique? What have you seen or done that makes you stand out in the crowd? Know somebody unusual? Been somewhere cool? Peeked behind the scenes where us regular folks never get to go? Creating stories based on personal experience is a great way to ensure that your script will be unique and truthful, and therefore interesting to an audience. BE ADAPTABLE

Other than winning the Academy Award for Best Picture, what do Chicago, The Silence of the Lambs, Forrest Gump, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King , and A Beautiful Mind have in common? All are adaptations. An adaptation is a movie script that is based on another work — a play (Chicago), a novel (Forrest Gump), A Beautiful Mind ). or a non-fiction book ( A ). In fact, in the last ten years the majority of Oscar winners and top-grossing films were adaptations.

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Adaptations can be extremely faithful, sticking close to the style and events of the original “source material, material,”” or they can take liberties, make changes, chan ges, and shift sh ift emphasis. Many Many have noted that the movies have been very faithful to the original novels, taking lines of dialogue directly from the book. On the other hand, Francis Ford Coppola’s famous film   is an example of a film “loosely based on” or “inspired by” another work. Set during the Vietnam War War in the 1960s,  is adapted from the novella  written by Joseph Conrad in the 1890s. If you still aren’t satisfied with a subject for your film, consider an adaptation. Because you are making a short, in all likelihood  would be a poor choice of source material for your adaptation (break this rule). Rather, you might consider looking at shorter forms as the basis for your script. How about a great song, or a poem you love? The following will sound dorky, but try to keep an open mind. We also suggest that you consider myths, legends, folktales, and children’s stories as sources of adaptation. This technique can be particularly funny if you decide to work in a “loosely based on” mode. What happens to “The Frog Prince” when you set it in a school cafeteria?


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A note on adaptation: If you do decide to adapt, remember that you are bor-

rowing from a fellow f ellow writer. If you follow that writer’s work too closely you may be infringing on his or her copyright (another good reason to use fairy tales — no copyright). If you have any questions about copyright, you you may want to check with a teacher or adult. If you intend to submit your movie to festivals, it’s important to be careful. CULLING THE HERD

At this point you probably have subject ideas out the wazoo. You’ve got the ideas you’ve had long before you ever picked up this book, you’ve got your Blabbing and your Definitions, you’ve got your personal experiences, and you’ve got your adaptations. You may know instantly upon looking at your notebook which idea you want to live with for the next few months. The hair stands up on the back of your neck when you you think about it, or you you let out a snorting snortin g laugh in the middle of the librar y when you consider the possibilities. These are good signs that you have found your subject. If you are struggling with the decision, imagine screening the movie for your closest friends and family. What film moves them, amuses them, challenges them the most? What idea makes your best friend laugh the hardest? What idea will make your favorite favorite teacher the most proud? proud ? Pick that and run with it. GET INTO TREATMENT

Now that you have a subject, the next step should be a “Treatment.” A treatment is a prose (essay) precursor or preview of your script. This is a continuation of o f the brainshowering process in which you get the bare bones of the story sto ry on paper. In simple language, tell the story of your movie. Say a word or two about each of the major characters as they appear: age, distinguishing physical or psychological features. Tell your reader about the major events or incidents of the movie. Don’t tryy to get too fancy tr fan cy.. Keep it simple and straightforward: strai ghtforward: what happens, and then what happens after that.

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TREATMENT, “DETENTION DEFICIT”: A girl finds herself in detention, but she is not sure sur e why. She recounts the day’ day’ss events and all the things that she did that could have gotten her in trouble. She remembers another kid who got in trouble and did not make it to see the light of day. She begins to plan her elaborate escape when the teacher falls asleep. She sees her chance and makes a run for it, but from what?

For a five-minute short, a treatment should be half a page or less. It could simply be a paragraph or even just a couple of sentences. (At this stage it is important to get into the habit of translating your ideas to the page before you commit them to film.) If you find the th e treatment growing longer than that, creeping to a full page or longer, it may be a sign that your stor y is too ambitious. a mbitious. If this is difficult, consider recruiting a friend (who can write fast) or using a tape recorder. Ask your friend to take notes while you tell him or her the story of your movie, or try narrating the story into the tape recorder. Use these notes as the outline for your treatment. Or you could simply transcribe your recording. Instant treatment. This is an important step and it will make writing the actual script much easier. PUT IT TO BED

Now that you have your treatment, put it away for a couple of days, maybe a weekend. weeke nd. When you come back to it, does it still make you smile? Does the hair ha ir on the back of your neck still do that thing? You may not think it was as brilliant as when you first wrote it, but a spark needs to still be there. You You are going to be pouring a lot of time and effort into this thing. If you don’t still like it, now is the time to turn back and start over. Don’t move on to the process described in the next chapter until you’ve got a treatment you still like a few days later. If you get that treatment out of bed and you can’t wait to show it to your friends and family, can’t wait for that movie to be up on the screen, it’s time to move on to the next chapter.


GETTING IT PAST THE CENSORS We think that you should make the movie you want to make, in your own voice, reflecting the truth as you see it. You should protect the integrity of your artistic vision. Ideally. In reality, there are some practical considerations to keep in mind when choosing subject matter for (and later writing) your film. If you are interested inter ested in gaining the support, financial or logistical, of adults (teachers or parents, mostly, but also anyone else who might see the script), you might want to consider avoiding certain subjects. If you want your movie shown at school, or in any academic setting, consider avoiding the following in your film: 4

Swearing

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Smoking

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Use of drugs or alcohol/house parties

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Graphic violence

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Graphic sex

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Teen suicide

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School violence

What fun is that? We’ We’re re not saying you have to avoid all these things, just know what the practical consequences of using them are. ar e. Aunt Sally isn’t going to buy you sound equipment for a movie where folks talk like Lil’ Wayne. Wayne. The principal of your school isn’t going to screen a movie with excessive violence. Don’t be surprised when adults roll up the red carpet.

RESHOOT

Keep it small and an d you’ll get it finished. This starts with the concept. 4 4 4 4 4

Watch just five minutes of feature films to get a feel. Choose a tiny subject, a snapshot. Use freewriting to kick off the writing process — don’t edit! Consider an adaptation or a true story. Write a treatment, a short prose synopsis of the stor storyy.

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3

R E T P A H C

SCREENPLAY THE EVERY OTHER DAILY DAILY GRIND GRIND WHY YOU SCRIPT

Now it’s time to write the th e script. Don’t worry worr y, it’ll all be over in three weeks. We understand that you may be bumming at the notion of writing a script. After all, when you you think about a bout making movies, you think about being behind the camera, actors doing their thing, thing , lights glaring down. You probably don’t picture sitting sitti ng at a computer. The bad news is that in reality, you’ll spend many more hours at the computer (for both writing and editing) than you will behind the camera. Sorry about that. Wish we could tell you different. In addition, writing is probably the part of the process that feels the most like a homework assignment. The good news is that just twenty-one days from the time you start, you’ll be sitting down with a group of friends to have a read-through of your screenplay. screenplay. When that reading is done, you’re a screenwriter — a major component of slashdom — and you’re much closer to being bein g a filmmaker. Don’t be tempted to skip this step. We know you’re thinking about it. Admit it. You are thinking to yourself, I’ve got a concept, maybe even a treatment.      

It’ll also be b e amateurish. A home video.

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The script guides what happens on the set.

Having a script is the factor that will separate your film from the crowd of teenmade flicks. How? How? Because writing a script improves i mproves the work work on the set for both creative and practical reasons. From a creative standpoint, the writing process forces you to clarify your idea, mostly by streamlining. Writing forces you to be specific and to work out problems that are probably proba bly a bit fuzzy fu zzy in your head. The result of writing is a much clearer and simpler story. From a practicality standpoint, stand point, the screenplay screenplay is important because it allows you and your production team to prepare thoroughly for the shoot. Once on location, the script helps everyone on the set, literally, to be “on the same page.” It will save you lots of time to hand out scripts rather than explaining to every person on the set what you want in a particular par ticular shot. Make sure that when it comes time to be on the set that the producer (you) has lots of extra copies in a box in a prominent place. Most kids just don’t have the discipline to sit down and grind it out, and the films suffer. But you’ll have the focus, because we have a plan that will get your script done in just three weeks.

SCREENPLAY

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BUT BEFORE YOU START…

Before plowing ahead, think back for a moment. Remember where where you found this book? Whether it was at a chain bookstore or the local public library, this little gem was probably sharing shelf-space with a number of honest-to-goodness screenplays. Go back to that place, and pick up one of those tho se beauties. It doesn’t really matter which one. Now surf on over to Netflix and pick out the DVD of that same movie. Screen the movie with the screenplay open on your lap. Despite your natural inclination, try to give the bulk of your attention to the page, glancing up as you go to catch the visual. This exercise will do a couple of good things for you. First, it familiarizes you with the screenplay format (more on that tha t in a minute). minu te). It’s It’s actually much simpler than it looks. Second, you’ll get a feel for the pace of the screenplay. Pay particular attention to the stage directions, those sections of the script that describe what happens on screen. We think you’ll notice that these directions are pretty spare — lean — pared down — economical — you get it. In the process you may also notice places pl aces where the screenplay and the film are different. Can you imagine why this may have happened? Keep these speculations in the back of your mind — the same issues may arise in your own film. SCREENPLAY FORMAT

The screenplay format is practical because it lays things out in a wide-open, readable format that separates the information for visuals (stage direction) from dialogue. The proper format also has a nifty feature: each page of screenplay roughly equals one o ne minute of screen time. Ergo: Ergo: five minutes = five pages. We’re just talking about five short pages here. You’ve You’ve written Histor y papers twice as long as that. There is some variation in screenplay format, but for our purposes, the simplest format is the best. We recommend that you concern yourself with only three things: slug lines, lin es, stage stage directions, and dialogue. A NOTE ON SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE

There are lots of screenwriting software packages on the market that will format your screenplay for you. Some actually claim to help you write your story! In our

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